Method of using steam ironing of fabrics as a way of causing reduction of physiological and/or subjective reactivity to stress in humans

ABSTRACT

A method of using steam ironing of fabrics as a way of causing reduction of physiological and/or subjective reactivity to stress in a human is provided. The method includes the steps of providing a stress reducing composition comprising one or more of a volatile natural essential oil and water. The composition is adapted to not cause staining of fabrics. The method includes delivering the stress reducing composition into a liquid container of a steam iron and heating the steam iron. The method further includes releasing vapors of the stress reducing composition produced within the liquid container of the steam iron upon heating into ambient air. The method still further includes the step of causing reduction of physiological and/or subjective reactivity to stress in the human by one of more of transdermal ingestion or inhalation of the vapors by the human.

This application is a 371 of PCT/B99/01966, filed Dec. 8, 1999, whichclaims benefit to U.S. Provisional application Ser. No. 60/113,347,filed Dec. 21, 1998.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method of using steam ironing offabrics as a way of causing reduction of physiological and/or subjectivereactivity to stress in humans that have been subjected to such stress.More particularly, the invention relates to a method for using steamironing of fabrics as a way of causing reduction of physiological and/orsubjective reactivity to stress in humans by employing the beneficialeffects of aromatherapy during steam ironing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Human reactivity to stress is insidious because even though it does notdirectly incapacitate a human, researchers have discovered that stressdecreases productivity, and eventually may lead to illness. Thisreactivity to stress can be brought about by the repetitive or chronicstrains of everyday life. Research in this area has shown that the dailyhassle, as measured by self-report, is more strongly associated withsomatic health than are life event scores. That is, the frequency andintensity of hassles are significantly related to somatic illness (A.Delongis, et al, Health Psychology, 1981, 1 (2), 119-136). Chronicreactivity, as measured by elevated blood pressure, particularlysystolic blood pressure, is correlated with disease. By use of aportable blood pressure-measuring device, it has been shown thatregularly recurring stress (specifically that occurring in the workplace) correlates with the occurrence of left ventricular hypertrophy.In particular, it has been shown that the correlation exists in patientsshowing elevated systolic blood pressures while actually engaged intheir workday tasks (R. B. Devereux, et al, Circulation 68, No. 3,470-476, 1983). In another study, blood pressures measured every 15minutes for 24 hours in 25 normal subjects, 25 borderline subjects and25 established hypertensive subjects showed significantly higher bloodpressures at work than at home, at the physician's office or whilesleeping. (T. G. Pickering, et al, Clinical and ExperimentalHypertension, A4(4&5), 675-693 1982).

The classical techniques used for controlling reactivity to stressinclude biofeedback, meditation and drugs. With respect to biofeedback,in one study, researchers used a constant-cuff technique and gavefeedback and reinforcement for the lowering of systolic blood pressurein seven patients, five of whom had been diagnosed as having essentialhypertension. The five patients with hypertension responded positively,all showing significant decreases in their systolic blood pressuresafter 30 sessions of training (Benson, H., Shapiro, D., Tursky, B., andSchwartz, G. E., Science, 1971, 173, 740-742). Other physiologicalparameters used for biofeedback training include pulse transit time,electromyogram activity and skin resistance biofeedback.

The type of relaxation training techniques used for the treatment ofhypertension are variations of either certain Eastern meditativedisciplines, progressive relaxation techniques or autogenic training.These techniques are intended to lower blood pressure by promotingphysical and mental relaxation. Specific examples of such techniques aredisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,670,463 issued on Jun. 2, 1987 to Craig B.Warren et al. A review of the use of biofeedback and relaxationtechniques for the treatment of hypertension can be found in: Surwit, etal, “Behavioral Approaches to Cardiovascular Disease”, BehavorialMedicine Series, Academic Press, 1982, 139-156.

Chemical agents have also been used to modify the effects of stress,tension, anxiety and dysphoria throughout recorded history, such asethanol, bromide salts and barbiturates. Again, U.S. Pat. No. 4,670,463issued on Jun. 2, 1987 to Craig B. Warren et al. offers a good accountof such other methods.

Aromatherapy is another method for reducing physiological and/orsubjective reactivity to stress in humans. In fact, it is currently aburgeoning industry that has led to the commercial success of a vastvariety of aromatherapy oils, soaps, perfumes, massage treatments andthe like. The term “Aromatherapy” is intended herein to mean the use ofplant-derived substances; volatile substances derived from plants forthe treatment of health problems. Generally, the volatile fraction—theessential oil fraction—of the plant-derived substance is used. The useof the volatile fractions of plants for treatment of various ailments isreviewed in the following three monographs: (1) J. Valnet, “The Practiceof Aromatherapy”, Destiny Books (Division of Inner TraditionsInternational, Ltd.), New York, N.Y., 1982; (2) R. Tisserand, “The Artof Aromatherapy”, Destiny Books (Division of Inner TraditionsInternational, Ltd.), New York, N.Y., 1983; and (3) A. Leung,“Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients”, J. Wiley & Sons PublishingCo., New York, N.Y., 1980. A detailed analysis of the aromatherapy folkmedicine literature suggested that a number of essential oils commonlyused in perfumery might have a multiplicity of medical effects. Some ofthese oils are employed in the practice of this invention. U.S. Pat. No.4,670,463 issued on Jun. 2, 1987 to Craig B. Warren et al. offers a goodaccount of such aromatherapy oils.

While different aromatherapy techniques have been used in the past, suchas bath gels, bath oils, soaps, aromatherapy perfumes, there has beenthe need for having some other novel method that exploits the welldocumented benefits of aromatherapy in stress reduction in a manner thatis easy to use and practice on a daily basis.

The inventors of the subject invention have discovered that by usingplant-derived substances common to the fields of perfumery andaromatherapy in a steam iron along with water, can result in an easy topractice method for reducing stress. The dose levels of the aromatherapyoils and perfumes, however, differ from those normally employed ineither perfumery or aromatherapy and the mode of application differsfrom those normally employed for aromatherapy. But by using selecteddoses of such oils and perfumes in the steam iron, an individual canexperience some degree of stress relaxation while at the same timeaccomplishing the essential task of ironing fabrics.

Thus although the materials employed in the practice of this inventionare known in the art and are known to exhibit physiologic activity,insofar as the inventors of the subject invention have been able toascertain, no suggestion relevant to reducing physiological and/orsubjective reactivity to stress during the process of steam ironing offabrics is made in the prior art.

It has been desirable to have an easy to use method for causing thereduction of physiological and/or subjective reactivity to stress in ahuman being subjected to stress conditions (such as the daily hassles ofthe work place). It has been further desirable to develop a method forcausing reduction of physiological and/or subjective reactivity tostress in a human being subjected to conditions of stress byadministering to such a human an effective amount of an aromatherapeuticactive material. It has still further been desirable to have a methodfor causing the reduction of physiological and/or subjective reactivityto stress in a human being subjected to stress conditions byadministering transdermally and/or by means of inhalation an effectiveamount of an active material in an aesthetically pleasing form, such as,for example, a perfume or an aromatherapeutic oil.

The present invention overcomes the problems, as set forth above.

BACKGROUND ART

U.S. Pat. No. 4,670,463 issued on Jun. 2, 1987 to Craig B. Warren et al.discloses various types of aromatherapy oils and perfumes, and isincorporated herein by reference.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,595, issued on Jun. 18, 1996 to Denis Daulasim etal. relates to a steam iron equipped with a cartridge for treating wateror cloth to be ironed. This patent, which discloses enabling embodimentsof steam irons and vaporization chamber mechanisms, is incorporated byreference.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention meets the needs above by providing a method of using steamironing of fabrics as a way of causing reduction of physiological and/orsubjective reactivity to stress in a human, a method for promotingaromatherapeutic effect in a human while the human is engaged in a taskof steam ironing a fabric, and a method of using aromatheraphy duringsteam ironing for causing reduction of physiological and/or subjectivereactivity to stress in a human.

In one aspect of the present invention, the method of using steamironing of fabrics as a way of causing reduction of physiological and/orsubjective reactivity to stress in a human includes the steps ofproviding a stress reducing composition comprising one or more of avolatile natural essential oil, and water. The composition is adapted tonot cause staining of fabrics. The method includes delivering the stressreducing composition into a liquid container of a steam iron and heatingthe steam iron. The method further includes releasing vapors of thestress reducing composition produced within the liquid container of thesteam iron upon heating, into ambient air. The method still furtherincludes the step of causing reduction of physiological and/orsubjective reactivity to stress in the human by one or more oftransdermal ingestion or inhalation of the vapors by the human.

In another aspect of the present invention, the method for promotingaromatherapeutic effect in a human while the human is engaged in a taskof steam ironing a fabric includes the steps of providing anaromatherapeutically active composition comprising one or more of avolatile natural essential oil, and water. The oil is adapted forpromoting an aromatherapeutic effect in a human. The composition is alsoadapted to not cause staining of fabrics. The method also includesdelivering the aromatherapeutically active composition into a liquidcontainer of an steam iron and heating the steam iron. The method alsoincludes releasing vapors of the aromatherapeutically active compositionproduced within the liquid container of the steam iron upon heating,into ambient air. The method further includes promoting aromatherapeuticeffect in the human by one or more of transdermal ingestion orinhalation of the vapors by the human.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, the method of usingaromatherapy during steam ironing for causing reduction of physiologicaland/or subjective reactivity to stress in a human includes the steps ofproviding an aromatherapeutically active composition comprising one ormore of a volatile natural essential oil, and water. The composition isadapted to not cause staining of fabrics. The method includes deliveringthe aromatherapeutically active composition into a liquid container of asteam iron and heating the steam iron. The method includes releasingvapors of the aromatherapeutically active composition produced withinthe liquid container of the steam iron upon heating, into ambient air.The method also includes causing reduction of physiological and/orsubjective reactivity to stress in the human by one or more oftransdermal ingestion or inhalation of the vapors by the human.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method ofusing steam ironing of fabrics as a way of causing reduction ofphysiological and/or subjective reactivity to stress in a human includesthe steps of providing a stress reducing composition comprising one ormore of a volatile natural essential oil, and water. Desirably, thestress reducing composition comprises one or more of a volatile naturalessential oil present in an amount in a range of from about 0.05% toabout 5% by weight of said composition, and preferably from about 0.5%to about 2.0%.

Volatile Natural Essential Oil

In one embodiment, the volatile natural essential oil is selected fromthe group consisting of hops extract, elder flower extract, eucalyptusoil, spearmint oil, clary sage oil, and mixtures thereof. In anotherembodiment, the volatile natural essential oil is selected from thegroup consisting of rosewood oil, juniper oil, and mixtures thereof. Inyet another embodiment, the volatile natural essential oil is selectedfrom the group consisting of witch hazel, mentha piperita oil, orangeoil, sweet violet leaf oil, hops extract, elder flower extract, andmixtures thereof.

In the preferred embodiment, the volatile natural essential oil isselected from the group consisting of nutmeg oil, mace extract, nerolioil, valerian oil, myristicin, isoelemicin, elemicin, and mixturesthereof.

A number of essential oils commonly used in perfumery can also have amultiplicity of medical and aromtherapeutic effects. Some of these oilsare employed in the practice of this invention.

Neroli oil is the essential oil obtained from orange blossoms. Nerolioil has a folk medicine history as being an anti-depressant,aphrodisiac, antiseptic, antispasmodic and of having digestive andsedative activity. The anecdotal literature suggests that neroli oil isan effective sedative and anti-depressant and that it may be used forinsomnia, hysteria, states of anxiety and depression. Neroli is aneffective sedative-antidepressant oils: it may be used for insomnia,hysteria, states of anxiety and depression. It is known to calm and slowdown the mind. It also has a notable action on the heart, diminishingthe amplitude of heart muscle contraction, hence its use in palpitationsor other types of cardiac spasm. Derived from this is its use inpanicky, hysterial, fearful types of people—those who upset themselvesunnecessarily, and become over wrought over nothing. Neroli is avaluable remedy for shock, or for disorders caused by sudden shock, orfear, causing a strain on the heart. It is valuable in chronicdiarrhoea, when this is related to long-standing stress or fear. Oil ofneroli also has a pronounced action on the skin. Like lavender andgeranium it can be used with benefit on any type of skin. It is totallynon-irritant and may be used where there is irritation or redness. It issaid to be useful for dry skin and broken veins. It is one of the oilswhich acts on a cellular level stimulating the elimination of old cellsand the growth of new ones. Neroli makes a luxurious, relaxing, anddeodorant bath oil.

Orange-flower water is soothing, digestive, carminative. It makes a veryuseful, mild remedy for infants' colic, and its sedative action helps tosend them to sleep.

Valerian oil is the essential oil obtained from the root of Valerianaofficinalis. The folk medicine literature lists the valerian root (freshor dried) as being useful as an antispasmodic, carminative, stomachicand sedative. It has been used to treat migraine, insomnia, hysteria,fatigue and stomach cramps that cause vomiting. Valeriana is known tohave a general calming and sedative effect on the central nervoussystem, to induce sleep and rest, spasms of the stomach, intestines andblood vessels, nervous heart conditions. Further acknowledgment asappetizer, headache relief, hysteria, epilepsy, tape worm, diarrhoea,lose stomach, fever. The chemical constituents, pharmacology and knownuses of valerian are reviewed in: “Herbal Remedies Used in Sedative andAntirheumatic Preparations: Part I”, Phillipson, et al, ThePharmaceutical Journal, Jul. 21, 1984, pages 80-82.

Another potentially interesting plant substance is nutmeg which wasimportant in medicine as well as well as in cooking. It was used as atherapeutic by Arab physicians as early as the 7th Century A.D. fortreatment for disorders of the digestive system, kidney disease, painand lymphatic ailments. Nutmeg is a significant item in the HinduPharmacopeia wherein it has been prescribed for fever, consumption,asthma and heart disease. Nutmeg is employed by folk practitioners inIndia as an analgesic and sedative. The fraction of nutmeg responsiblefor the mild hallucinogenic activity is suggested by the literature tobe the aromatic fraction of the oil containing safrole, methyleugenol,eugenol, methylisoeugenol, myristicin, elemicin, isoelemicin andmethoxyeugenol as the major components. The myristicin-elemicin fractionof oil of nutmeg produces many of the activities of crude ground nutmegbut lacks adequate potency to explain the nutmeg intoxication syndromeon a quantitative basis. Nutmeg and synthetically-made myristicin show amild degree of monoamine oxidase inhibiting activity. The monoamineoxidase activity is found in the volatile component of nutmeg. Nutmegoil, known as myristica fragrans, or myristicaceae, is the essential oilfrom the kernel of the fruit of the nutmeg tree. The stone of the fruitis enclosed within a husk which, when dried, is known as mace. “MaceExtract” is an aromatic essence extracted from mace. “Nutmeg Butter” isa fixed oil obtained by hot-pressing the nutmeg kernels, and containsmyristine, butyrin, olein, palmitine and stearine. The essence contains80% pinene and camphene, 8% dipentene, 6% terpenic alcohols, (linalool,borneol, terpineol and geraniol), 4% myristicin and various substancessuch as eugenol and safrol. Valnet, “The Practice of Aromatherapy”,(supra) states that, for external use:

(a) “nutmeg butter” is used in liniments for the treatment of rheumaticpains and toothaches; and

(b) “nutmeg butter” is used in the form of “nerve balm” for treatment ofrheumatic pains, the form being a mixture of the essences of rosemaryand clove together with nutmeg butter. A form of nutmeg oil, Myristicacastaneifolia (Myristacaceae) Fiji is described as possessing biologicalactivity, specifically in the antitumor field, in U.S. Pat. No.4,352,797 issued on Oct. 5, 1982, the specification for which isincorporated by reference herein.

The essential oils described above are also common perfumery ingredientsas described in Arctander, “Perfume and Flavors Materials of NaturalOrigin”, published by the author in 1960. (Mace extract at columns391-393; neroli oil at columns 435-437; nutmeg oil at columns 442-445;and valerian oil at columns 637-638).

Low Foaming Surfactant

The stress reducing composition can also include a low foamingsurfactant in a range of from about 0.1% to about 5% by weight. Thepreferred surfactants are low foaming non-ionic surfactants includingnonionic alkoxylated surfactants, especially ethoxylates derived fromprimary alcohols, and blends thereof with more sophisticatedsurfactants, such as thepolyoxypropylene/polyoxyethylene/polyoxypropylene reverse blockpolymers. The PO/EO/PO polymer-type surfactants are well-known to havefoam suppressing or defoaming action. Various other forms of low foamingsurfactants may be used in this application, and such forms are wellknown to one skilled in the art and thus, need not be listed here.

In the preferred embodiment, the stress reducing composition includes afoam suppressant in a range of from about 0.1% to about 5% by weight.Examples of foam suppressants include alkyl phosphonic acid esters andalkyl acid phosphate esters. Other foam suppressants include, forexample, the known silicones. It must be noted that various other typesof foam suppressants, well known to one skilled in the art may beutilized, so long as such foam suppressants do not cause fabricstaining.

Optionally, the stress reducing composition may include an anti-dyetransfer agent in a range of from about 0.01% to about 0.5% by weight.Examples of anti-dye transfer agents include poly(2-vinylpyridine-N-oxide),poly-2-(dimethylamino)-ethylmethacrylate-N-oxide, andpoly-1-vinylimidazole-N-oxide. Other examples of anti-dye transferagents include carboxyl containing polymers, N-vinyl-oxazolidonepolymers, and copolymers of polyvinylpyrrolidone and acrylic acidnitrile or maleic anhydride. Such dye transfer inhibiting agents aredisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,225 issued on May 27, 1997.

Optionally, the stress reducing composition may include a corrosionprotection additive for the steam iron in a range of from about 0.1% toabout 3% by weight. Examples of corrosion protection additives includepolyethylene glycol. Other useful corrosion protection additives includecyclohexylamine, diammonium phosphate, dilithium oxal ate, dimethylamino methylpropanol, dipotassium oxalate, dipotassium phosphate,disodium phosphate, disodium pyrophosphate, disodium tetrapropenylsuccinate, nitromethane, potassium silicate, sodium aluminate, sodiumhexametaphosphate, sodium metasilicate, sodium nitrite, sodium oxalate,sodium silicate, and stearamidopropyl dimethicone. The important pointto note is that these corrosion inhibitors are used in dilution withwater so that they do not stain the fabric being ironed, desirably in arange of from about 0.1% to about 1% by weight. One skilled in the artcan determine the specific amount in dilution with water without undueexperimentation.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition isadapted to not cause staining of fabrics. This is a critical property ofthe composition because no matters how good the composition is, from thestandpoint of having stress reduction properties, if it stains thefabric being ironed, it will lose its utility value.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the methodincludes delivering the stress reducing composition into a liquidcontainer of a steam iron and heating the steam iron. This isaccomplished by simply plugging the steam iron to an electric outlet andallowing the iron to heat to a normal operating temperature suitable forthe fabric to be ironed. At the users option, the stress reducingcomposition may be further diluted with water, so long as the amount ofthe volatile natural essential oil present in the water-dilutedcomposition is present in an amount in a range of from about 0.05% toabout 5% by weight of the total liquid filled into the liquid containerof the steam iron.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the methodincludes releasing vapors of the stress reducing composition producedwithin the liquid container of the steam iron upon heating, into ambientair and causing reduction of physiological and/or subjective reactivityto stress in the human by one or more of transdermal ingestion orinhalation of the vapors by the human.

The following Example A is a representative composition of (a) a stressreducing composition, and (b) an aromatherapeutically activecomposition, suitable for using in the present invention:

EXAMPLE A Ingredient Weight % Volatile essential oil 2.00 Water 98.00Total 100.00 The volatile essential oil has the following composition:Nutmeg Oil East Indian 97.10 Mace extract 0.14 Neroli Oil 0.98 diethylphthalate 0.44 Valerian Oil Indian 0.05 Total 100.00

Accordingly, having thus described the invention in detail, it will beobvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be madewithout departing from the scope of the invention and the invention isnot to be considered limited to what is described in the specification.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of using steam ironing of a fabric toreduce a human's elevated blood pressure due to stress, the methodcomprising the steps of: a. providing a steam iron containing a stressreducing composition comprising a volatile natural essential oil; b.operating the steam iron such that the fabric is ironed and vapors fromsaid stress reducing composition are released into the ambient airsurrounding the human such that the human's elevated blood pressure dueto stress is reduced upon transdermal ingestion and/or inhalation ofsaid vapors by said human.
 2. The method according to claim 1 whereinsaid stress reducing composition comprises from about 0.05% to about 5%by weight of the composition of the volatile natural essential oil. 3.The method according to claim 2 wherein said stress reducing compositioncomprises from about 0.5% to about 2% by weight of the composition ofthe volatile natural essential oil.
 4. The method according to claim 1wherein said volatile natural essential oil is selected from the groupconsisting of: nutmeg oil, mace extract, neroli oil, valerian oil,myristicin, isoelemicin, elemicin, hops extract, elder flower extract,eucalyptus oil, spearmint oil, clary sage oil, rosewood oil, juniperoil, witch hazel, mentha piperita oil, orange oil, sweet violet leafoil, cedar-wood oil and mixtures thereof.
 5. The method according toclaim 4 wherein said volatile natural essential oil is selected from thegroup consisting of: nutmeg oil, mace extract, neroli oil, valerian oil,myristicin, isoelemicin, elemicin and mixtures thereof.
 6. The methodaccording to claim 4 wherein said volatile natural essential oil isselected from the group consisting of: hops extract, elder flowerextract, eucalyptus oil, spearmint oil, clary sage oil and mixturesthereof.
 7. The method according to claim 4 wherein said volatilenatural essential oil is selected from the group consisting of: rosewoodoil, juniper oil and mixtures thereof.
 8. The method according to claim4 wherein said volatile natural essential oil is selected from the groupconsisting of: witch hazel, mentha piperita oil, orange oil, sweetviolet leaf oil, hops extract, elder flower extract and mixturesthereof.